Hair drying apparatus



G. M. SHINN ETAL HAIR` DRYING APPARATUS Filed March 3l, 1941 Patented Oct. 13, 1942 DRYING APPARATUS Grace M. Shinn, Des Moines, Iowa, and Leo B. James,` Downers Grove, Ill.

Application March 31, 1941, Serial No. 386,056

1` Claim.

In the practice of Cosmetology it is now customary to use hair-drying apparatus consisting of a somewhat oval hcllzw body open at one end and containing. an electric heating unit and a fan, the open end of the body is usually supported above the customers head and the heated air ows from the device around the customers head and also around the customers neck and shoulders, which latter is objectionable because the amount of heated air which may be used during a given time is limited by the amount of heat applied to the neck and shoulders which can be used without too much discomfort by the customer. Furthermore, with the present apparatus it is necessary for the customer to assume a substantially upright posture which is uncomfortable if maintained for a long period of time, which is sometimes necessary for a complete hair-drying treatment.

The object of our invention is to provide a combined head rest and neck and shoulder protector which may be used in the nature of an attachment for the present hair-drying apparatus and by means of which the customer may assume a comfortable, semi-reclining position with her head resting upon a head rest in a comfortable position and with her neck and shoulders protected from the heated air currents, and whereby the heated air currents may be directed to pass through and around all of the customers hair and away from the face, neck and shoulders, and all of the heated air necessary to complete the most diicult hair-drying operation may be done in a relatively short time without discomfort or pain to the customer.

A further object is to provide an apparatus of this class in which the combined head rest and neck and shoulder protector may be adjusted for effective treatment of customers of various sizes and proportions.

In the accompanying drawing Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a hairdrying apparatus having our improved combined head support and neck and shoulder protector applied thereto;

Figure 2 shows a similar view of a somewhat modified form of same;

Figure 3 shows a Vertical sectional View on the dotted line 3 3 of Figure 1, and also showing a chair adjacent to the hair-drying apparatus and the dotted outline of a customer in position for using our improved apparatus;

Figure 4 shows an enlarged sectional View on the line 4-4 of Figure 3; and

Figure 5 shows a detail sectional View illustrat- -1 CFI ing a modiiication of the neck and shoulder protector, and illustrating by dottedV lines the position of the chair back relative thereto.

The hair-drying apparatuscomprises the usual adgustable standard II) havingv the usualsheet metal substantially oval-shaped hollow body II connected to the standard by a hinged joint I2. One end of the hollow body is open, and at the opposite end there is an electric heating element I3 andafanld.

Our improved head rest and neck and shoulder protector comprises a protector plate I5 welded to the lower edge portion of the body II at its open end and extended downwardly therefrom. It is preferably provided with its edges extended inwardly at I 6 to form a channel in which is received a mating neck and shoulder protecting member I'I, and a set screw I8 is provided for clamping these members together in any position of their adjustment. This neck and shoulder protector is extended upwardly across the open end of the body II and is wide enough to completely cover the lower portion of this opening, as shown in Figures 1 and 2. The member I5 is in the form of a channel and the member I'I is slidingly mounted on the channel, as shown in Fig. 4. The set screw I 8 is mounted in the member I'I to engage the member I5.

In Fig. 2 the member I5 which supports the head rest 39 is shown to be in front of the member Il and movable vertically thereon.

In Figure 2 of the drawing we have shown the head rest to comprise simply a notched portion I 9 formed at the upper end of the neck and shoulder protector, and in Fig. l we have shown a head rest having a wide broad surface at 2D to receive and support the customers head.

In the modied form shown in Figure 5 there is illustrated a rearwardly extended portion 2l at the lower end of the neck and shoulder protector, shaped and designed to rest upon the top of a chair, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 4;

- and in the rear thereof is the downwardly eX- tended portion 22 to engage the rear of the chair back, and when in this position the front of the neck and shoulder protector is substantialy flush with the front of the chair back. This forms an extension of the chair back to receive and support the customers shoulders. The chair back as illustrated in Fig. 3 is indicated by the numeral 23.

In practical use a customer is placed in position upon a chair and the chair may be adjusted to almost any degree of reaward inclination of the chair back that will be comfortable for the customer. Then, when in this position, the body I0 is adjusted to position so that the back of the customers head will be projected into the open end of the body ll in substantially the position shown by dotted lines in Figure 3, then when in this position the combined head rest and neck and shoulder protector are adjusted to position to receive and engage the customers head and support it in position, and when in this position the depressed portion of the head rest Will then hold the customers head substantially centered within the open part of the body Il so that a substantially equal amount of heated air Will pass out around the sides and top of the customers head and through the customers hair, but none of it Will be projected upon the customers neck and shoulders.

When the various parts have been adjusted to fit the size and proportion of the customer and the customei` has been placed in a comfortable, restful position, then the flow of heated air may be maintained for a relatively long time or for a shorter period of time with a greater amount of heat to effect a thorough drying of the hair in a minimum amount of time, and all of this may be done without inconvenience to the customer and without applying excessive heat to the customers neck or shoulders.

We claim as our invention:

A hair-drying apparatus, comprising a hollow body portion having an open end to receive a patients head, a heating device in the hollow body, and a combined head rest and neck protector, comprising a supporting plate xed to the hollow body and extended completely across the lower portion of the opening therein, and a head rest portion slidingly mounted on the supporting plate for vertical movement, a set screw for holding it in various positions of adjustment, said head rest portion having its upper portion shaped to t back of a patients head and having its body portion extended vertically and of a Width to completely cover the lower portion of the hollow body and whereby the head rest member may be adjusted to comfortably t heads of different sizes and when in any position of such adjustment, the patients neck and shoulders Will be protected from heat within the hollow body.

GRACE M. SHINN. LEO B. JAMES` 

